Field-eeitce



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

B. RowELL, or ossIAN, NEw YORK.y

FIELD-FENCE.

'l 'Il Specication of Letters Patent No. 19,873-, dated April 6, 1.8581.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BEMING RowELL, of the town of Ossian, county of Livingston, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hurdle or Portable Fences, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of a fence embracing my improvements. Fig.' 2 represents a vertical cross section of the same, on the line of the brace posts. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the upper rail, showing the manner in which it is locked to the braces. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of the second rail from the bottom, showing the manner in which it is locked to the tie of the brace posts.

In the construction ofhurdle or portable fences, great ingenuity has been displayed by inventors in the different modes they have adopted to connect and support the panels and posts so as to give these fences all the stability of a fixed and permanent fence, and, at the same time, possessing the 'capability of being quickly and easily taken to pieces without injury. In the best designed fences of this class, the connecting devices are too complicated, and consist of several pieces, independent of the panels or the posts, which in taking down, or Vputting up the fence, are liable to be misplaced, lost or broken.

The object of my invention is to simplify the manner of connecting the panels with the posts, or brace supports; and my invention for effecting this object, consists in arranging the bars of the panels so that the ends overlap and interlock with the brace posts on opposite sides; thus the panels are firmly connected with each other and the posts without the aid of independent devices.

lIn the accompanying drawing is represented a fence, embracingV my improved mode of connecting the panels and braces with each other. This fence consists of a series of panels (A) which rest on and interlock at either end with an X-shaped brace post The posts (B) are made in two pieces halved together near the upper end, and connected by a tie near the foot. The panels (A) are constructed in the usual manner of board fences, with the boards running longitudinally and united by battens at the center and near each end. The upper board (a) of the panel hasa sloping groove or scarf (d) on the outside near the end; the slope of the scarf corresponding with t-he inclination of the braces, and the width of the scarf is the same as vthat of the brace, so as to interlock with each other.

The second board from the bottom (b) in this case has a notch (e) cut in it, near the end, to it a corresponding notch (c) in the tie (c) connecting the foot of the braces. The second board at the top is scarfed 0H at the top as the end to admit of its entering the lower angle of t-he braces. The scarf and notched rails of adjacent panels rest on the same brace posts; the scarfed rails enter the upper angle formed by the crossing of the two braces,lill this angle, o-verlap each other, and interlock with the braces on each side. The second rails from the bottom overlap rest on, and interlock with the ties, while the remainder of the yrails overlap, thus the panels and the'braces are firmly connected and support each other.

It will be seen from the manner in which therails interlock with the braces, that the braces are prevented by being tied in both directions, at the top, as well as the bottom, from being twisted or thrown out of plumb;

land from the manner in which the panels are connected to the braces they are held firmly, and prevented from being drawn out or yielding laterally. The simplicity of this mode of connecting the panels with each other, and with the braces, and the entire absence of all small pieces that are liable to be lost or broken, the ease with which it can be taken apart, simply by raisI ing and drawing out the panels, its great strength and stiffness when put together give to it great superiority over other modes of constructing this class of fences.

Having thus described my improvement in portable or hurdle fences, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent iS- The method of connecting the panels and t-he braces with each other, by interlocking the upper and lower rails with the brace post, in the manner as described, whereby the panels are irmly connected with each other, and interlocked with the posts, with'- out the aid of independent connect-ing devices.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name.

BEMING ROWELL. Witnesses:

H. SOUTHICK, HENRY O. GRIFEITHS. 

